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French Parliament bans “excessively thin” models

In a move to fight anorexia, the lower house of parliament passed a law today, part of a larger health bill, which bans French models under a certain Body Mass Index from walking down the catwalk. Modeling agents who break these rules are set to face fines and six months in jail.

In a related move, the lower house of parliament made it illegal to condone anorexia, targeting internet sites that pressure models to achieve excessive thinness. The National Union of Modelling Agencies has complained the ban would affect the competitiveness of French modelling.

The law will be upheld with regular check ups. The average BMI for a woman in France is 23.2, while doctors report that a normal adult BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.